1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a character provision service system for providing users with characters such as interface agents and virtual characters in virtual spaces on computers or in TV games. The present invention also relates to an information processing apparatus used in the character provision service system, to a method of controlling the apparatus, and to a recording medium.
2. Related Background Art
In a piece of software for an interactive process using an interface agent, a virtual character or the like (collectively referred to as “character”, hereinafter) capable of having a conversation with a user, the character is designed to make predetermined motions or expressions in a 3D graphic or the like. A character data provider provides a user with characters having such motions and expressions through pieces of software comprising data on a plurality of images created by a graphic designer or the like or data on a plurality of images obtained by photographing a particular person, and through an apparatus or a system in which each piece of software is executed. Through the above-described software and the apparatus or system in which the software is executed, a user purchases a product in which a set of a plurality of characters is packed and selects some of the plurality of characters in the purchased product according to his or her need.
The above-described kind of software and the apparatus or system in which the software is executed entail problems described below.
(1) Even though users need various characters unique in face, figure and motion, they can only select those packed in provided products. Also, a selected character only performs motions and expressions specified in advance by a character designer.
(2) When a user needs only a new motion or expression with respect to a character, he or she must additionally purchase the entire of a product including the motion or expression of the character, which is inefficient in terms of cost and expense in time and effort for purchase.
(3) The cost at which a provider providing the above-described software or programs develops a plurality of characters in response to the needs of individual users and provides data on the developed characters is considerably high. Therefore, only a limited number of character data providers can provide characters matching the needs of users.
(4) A character data provider cannot receive a compensation for a motion actually performed by a character on the basis of data on created images or photographed images prepared by the provider. Also, character data providers cannot check unauthorized use of their characters and cannot provide data on the characters without anxiety about unauthorized use of the data.